A portrait of Isaac Newton (1642-1727) painted in 1689 by Sir Godfrey Kneller. Two years earlier, he had published Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica — or rather, his colleague Edmond Halley had badgered him into publishing it: Newton’s diffident muddleheadedness was already a byword. Newton is known today chiefly for his three laws of motion, which included the principle of gravitation and which overturned assumptions going back to Aristotle in the fourth century BC. He also made contributions to mathematics that paved the way for differential and integral calculus. Newton was appointed Master of the Royal Mint in 1699, and in 1703 he was elected President of the Royal Society, founded in 1660.
Introduction
In 1685, Sir Isaac Newton engaged a secretary to help him with his increasing workload, a Mr Humphrey Newton who was, it seems, no relation of the great mathematician. Many years later John Conduitt, Newton’s successor as Master of the Mint and also the great man’s nephew by marriage, asked Humphrey to supply him with his recollections of Sir Isaac.
I NEVER knew him to take any recreation or pastime either in riding out to take the air, walking, bowling, or any other exercise whatever, thinking all hours lost that was* not spent in his studies, to which he kept so close that he seldom left his chamber except at term time, when he read in the schools as being Lucasianus Professor,* where so few went to hear him, and fewer that understood him, that ofttimes he did in a manner, for want of hearers, read to the walls.
Foreigners he received with a great deal of freedom, candour, and respect. When invited to a treat, which was very seldom, he used to return it very handsomely, and with much satisfaction to himself. So intent, so serious upon his studies, that he eat very sparingly, nay, ofttimes he has forgot to eat at all, so that, going into his chamber, I have found his mess untouched, of which, when I have reminded him, he would reply — ‘Have I?’ and then making to the table, would eat a bit or two standing, for I cannot say I ever saw him sit at table by himself.
* Humphrey Newton frequently uses ‘was’ for ‘were’. His letter often drops into note form, and is full of other little omissions and peculiarities of style, which have been left undisturbed.
* The Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge was founded in 1663 by Henry Lucas (?1610-1663). Lucas, a clergyman and an MP for the University between 1639 and 1640, made a number of generous charitable bequests in his will, among them the establishment of a Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University subsequently confirmed by King Charles II on January 18th, 1664. As well as Sir Isaac Newton, who in 1669 took over from the first incumbent, Isaac Barrow, and held the chair for thirty-three years, Lucasian professors have included Charles Babbage (1791-1871) and Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).
Précis
Sir Isaac Newton’s secretary Humphrey Newton (no relation) could not remember his employer ever relaxing. When not required to lecture (and he was not in great demand among Cambridge’s students) he closeted himself in his rooms, so wrapped up in his work that he would often forget to eat, though when etiquette demanded it he quite enjoyed entertaining. (58 / 60 words)
Sir Isaac Newton’s secretary Humphrey Newton (no relation) could not remember his employer ever relaxing. When not required to lecture (and he was not in great demand among Cambridge’s students) he closeted himself in his rooms, so wrapped up in his work that he would often forget to eat, though when etiquette demanded it he quite enjoyed entertaining.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, just, may, must, or, otherwise, unless.
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